Clinical predictors and outcome of bowel resection in paediatric intussusception

INTRODUCTION: Surgery remains the mainstay in treating intussusception in developing countries, with a correspondingly high bowel resection rate despite a shift to non-operative reduction in high-income countries. OBJECTIVE: To assess factors associated with bowel resection and the outcomes of resection in childhood intussusception. METHODS: A review of children with intussusception between January 2006 and December 2015 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The patients were categorized based on the need for bowel resection and analysis done using the SPSS version 23. RESULTS: 121 children were managed for intussusception during this period. 53 (43.8%) had bowel resection, 61 (50.4%) did not require resection and 7 (5.8%) were unknown. 40 (75.5%) of the resections were right hemi-colectomy. The presence of fever, abdominal pain, distension, rectal mass, age < 12 months, heart rate > 145/min and duration of symptoms > 2 days were associated with the need for bowel resection (p < 0.05). However, only age and abdominal pain independently predicted need for resection. Bowel resection was more associated with development of post-operative complications and prolonged hospital stay (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Infants presenting with abdominal pain and abdominal distension after two days of onset of symptoms were more likely to require bowel resection. Resection in intussusception significantly increased post-operative complications and length of hospital stay.